In what ways did the music of African American slaves provide more than just entertainment?

In what ways did the music of African American slaves provide more than just entertainment?

Chapter 1
Q1. In what ways did the music of African American slaves provide more than just entertainment?
African American slave music was more than just entertainment because it also helped ease the psychological burden of hard physical labor through the rhythmically steady, call and response communal singing associated with work songs. It provided emotional release through the intense and melodically complex vocal style. It represented the hope for a better tomorrow in the afterlife through sacred, or religious songs.
Q2. Many slaves were forbidden to make or play drums. Why?
Many of the African American song had secret messages, serving as a means of communication from one slave to another. It was perceived as a threat among slaveholders and therefore they were not allowed to play drums.

Q3. Where is the Mississippi Delta region located? Musically speaking what makes this region so significant?
The Mississippi Delta region is bordered to the north by Memphis, Tennessee, and sandwiched between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. Music from this region impacted the music artists worldwide. Music artists throughout the world learn to sing and play by imitating and revere the recorded works from this region. Guitarists from this region were the first to explore the use of feedback and distortion. Bass patterns, guitar riffs, and piano boogies invented here course through a broad spectrum of western popular music, like hard rock, pop, disco, jazz and many more.
Q4. In what ways did the slavery system remain intact long after slavery itself had been up abolished?

After slavery was abandon in 1865, in ways the South’s slavery system remained intact through the manipulation of Jim Crow laws, false promises of the sharecropping system, and the brutal forced labor of southern prisons, as well as by the terror tactics imposed by racist lynch mobs and the Ku Klux Klan.

Q5. How and why did religion become so important in the African American community?

Religion was a way where an African American was permitted to congregate without supervision,these gatherings provided a real sense of community and cultural identity. Slave preachers reformulated their teachings, emphasizing themes of suffering and redemption. Slaves sang songs about salvation and references to biblical figures, these songs also were the means of resistance, encoding messages about secret gatherings or carrying directions for escape.

Q6. Why was blues music frowned upon by much of the Southern black religious community?

Black religious community frowned upon blues music because they consider blues as the devil’s music. They think that it divide the black community and serve as a vehicle for class distinction.

Q7. – What made the cities of Memphis, Tennessee and Chicago, Illinois vital to the growth and development of blues music? For example how did the sound of Chicago blues differ from that of rural Mississippi blues?

The city of Memphis, Tennessee and Chicago, Illinois were vital in the growth and development of blues music. For blues musicians cities like Memphis and Chicago provided an exciting, exotic city vibe that was far beyond different from the mud, shacks and cotton fields of delta. They had more opportunities to be discovered in these big cities. In Memphis, Tennessee WDIA Radio station was the first station to switch and play all black music, filling the airwaves with blues and gospel music. Chicago blues music has a sense of urban environment compared to Mississippi blues, primarily because of the electric guitar and also use of amplified harmonica sound.

Q8. Based on the information given in this chapter, define boogie-woogie.

Boogie-woogie is a party music. It is an upbeat style of blues piano playing called “barrelhouse”. Its beat is supplied by an insistent, rolling 12-bar rhythm pattern played with the left hand while the right hand emphatically pounds out improvisational melodies and riffs.

Q9. Name three Chess blues artists.

McKinley Morganfield aka Muddy Waters
Chester Burnett aka Howlin’ Wolf
Willie Dixon

Q10. How did the great migration impact the direction of blues?

The great migration caused the blues to go from being a rural country music, being played in barrelhouses, to being an urban form of music being played in large clubs and other modern venues. It changed the themes of blues music also. The advent of travel by train for example is a major theme in blues music. Not only did the great migration affect blues music, but that blues music also changed the great migration because as blues musicians moved north and became successful, it attracted more blacks to make the move.

Chapter 2

Q1. Name the three so-called “fathers” mentioned in this chapter.
A) The “father of country music” is Jimmie Rodgers.
B) “father of bluegrass” is Bill Monroe
C) “father of contemporary country music” is Hank Williams

Q2. What was the ethnic heritage of most Appalachian settlers in the eighteen century?
What kinds of music did they bring with them from the old country?

Most Appalachian settlers were Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants. They brought old folk songs from the British Isles with them that had been passed down orally for generations.

Q3. What music industry terms eventually replaced “race” and “hillbilly”?

Term “race” was replaced by “rhythm & blues” and “hillbilly” with “country-western”.

Q4. What did the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers have in common?How did they differ from one another?

Both sang songs in Hillbilly genre. Carter Family mostly sang old Anglo American folk songs, on the other hand Jimmie sang songs about ramblers, gamblers and outlaws.

Q5. How did radio help commercialize early country music?

The greatest contributor to early country music’s popularity was commercial radio. It was a phenomenon in 1920s spreading to cities across the nation. Many families who could not afford records, bought radios on installments. Radio brought music to homes during great depression that might otherwise never have been exposed to it. Many stations which played country music had listeners in up to 30 states in the nation.

Q6. What are the musical roots of bluegrass music? How does bluegrass differ from the music in which it is rooted?

Bluegrass music originates from Appalachian music. One way Bluegrass differ from Appalachian, is its emphasis on instrumental solos that are often played at breakneck tempos, demanding tremendous virtuosity and dexterity. It’s also different in its absorption of black music styles.

Q7. Who best embodied the heroic image of the “singing cowboy”?

Bob Wills.

Q8. How did honky-tonk differ from earlier strains of country music?

Honky-Tonk style was about up-tempo songs dealt with living for today as opposed to traditional themes of family unity and religion. It includes songs about dancing, romancing, and drinking, while slower songs about heartache, infidelity and drinking to drown one’s sorrow.

Q9. Name three honky-tonk musicians.

Ernest Tubb
Jimmie Rodgers
Hank Williams

Q10. Draw a line from recording artist on the left to the song associated with that artist on the right.

Bill Monroe………… Blue Moon of Kentucky
Hank Williams…….. Cold Cold Heart
Merle Travis……….. Dark as a Dungeon
Jimmie Rodgers…….Blue Yodel
Ernest Tubb…………Walking the floor over you

Chapter 3

Q1. What various styles of music blended together to form “jump blues”?

Ans. Jump blues was a blend of propulsive rhythmic drive of boogie-woogie, sweaty exuberance of black gospel music, and the carnal swagger of Chicago blues.

Q2. Although R&B, or rhythm & blues, was a term used to describe black popular music in general, by the early 1950s the term was often used interchangeably with “jump blues.” Why?

Ans. At the time ‘race” first became “rhythm & blues”, a new style jump blues, was becoming sp big in the black community, especially among urban youth that by the early 1950s the terms “R&B” and “jump blues” were often used interchangeably.

Q3. What city gave birth to jazz?

Ans. New Orleans gave birth to jazz.

Q4. What decade in American history is known as The Jazz Age? Why?

1920s era is known as the jazz age. Jazz music remained immensely popular throughout the decade. It grows both in terms of popularity and musical growth.

Q5. What decade defines the Swing Era?

Ans. 1930s

Q6. How are swingand jump blues related?

Ans. Both swing and jump blues were straightforward, happy-go-lucky dance music. Jump blues provided a tangible link between swing and early rock and roll.

Q7. How are black gospel music and jump blues related?

Ans. Black gospel music greatly influenced early blues music. Both music brings extreme energy to its listeners.

Q8. Who was the architect of the jump blues style?

Ans. Louis Jordan
Q9. Draw a line from the recording artist on the left to the musical style associated with that artist on the right.

Louis Jordan…. Jump Blues
Duke Ellington…… Jazz
Mahalia Jackson….. Gospel

Q10. What instrument did Louis Jordan play?

Ans. Louis Jordan used to play saxophone.

Chapter 4

Q1. How did the independent record industry aid in the growth of rhythm & blues during the postwar years? In what ways did independent labels differ from major labels?

Ans. Independent record industry as they were known did the growth of rhythm and Blues during the postwar years by creating a market that was untapped by major labels also it allowed R&B music to be distributed and heard, while major labels stays with more mainstream . Independent music entrepreneurs all over the country have the goal of recording, marketing, and distributing race music. In contrast to the major labels, independent music industry was run out of garages, basements, and tiny apartments. They drove around the country to promote and sell their music.

Q2. How did the rhythm & blues on Atlantic Records differ from the sound of other late 1940s and early 1950s era rhythm and blues?

Ans. The actual records released by Atlantic Records were slicker and more steeped in the big band sound than other rhythm & blues. Atlantic artist like Ray Charles made labels which had direct link to gospel music, than any artist of that era.

Q3. What was the distinctive about the records Ray Charles made for Atlantic Records in the 1950s?

Ans. Ray Charles music was distinctive because it displays a direct link to gospel music.

Q4. Why did New Orleans rhythm & blues have such a distinct regional sound?

Ans. New Orleans rhythm & blues have distinct sound because of the local accent in which all singers sang the songs. They use almost same local backing musicians on every singer’s record, and came exclusively from one studio, J&M. They even play the same instruments on every song.

Q5. Describe how radio changed beginning in the late 1940s?

Ans. As the late 1940s came about a transformation occur in radio due to commercial television. Radio started playing more regional and pre-recorded music played by a disc jockey. Disc jockeys have colorful nicknames and personas to match the energy of music they were playing.

Q6. How did radio disc jockeys stay competitive in the late 1940s and 1950s?

Ans. To compete announcers had to develop a sense of style, edge , persona and distinctive on air personality.

Q7. Why did the rhythm & blues gain a reputation for promoting juvenile delinquency?

Ans. Rhythm & blues gain a reputation for promoting juvenile delinquency due to the reports that kids were dancing in theater aisles and tearing up seats during the screenings of a song.

Q8. – Aside from rhythm & blues reputation for promoting Juvenile delinquency, what are some reasons white pop radio station did not promote the music in its original form?

Ans. Some of the rhythm & blue songs contained sexually suggestive lyrics. So, radio stations that time wanted to avoid any kind of controversies.

Q9. Describe how rock and roll, in its first incarnation, was really just another name for rhythm & blues.

Ans. As Alan Freed gained popularity he started to use the term rock and roll for the records he played. Soon the industry started to use the term to promote R&B. this is how in the very early manifestation, rock and roll was simply a name for R&B.

Q10. In what city did Alan Freed first make a name for himself in radio?

Ans. Alan Freed first made his name from WJW station of Cleveland, Ohi

CHAPTER 5

Q1. Briefly give three specific examples of social conservatism in 1950s America.

• Sexual position begin one huge unknowns
• Made American teenager post war affluence mid class.
• Opportunity to put of growth up.

Q2. Name two reasons rock and roll was perceived as threatening by certain members of the establishment during the 1950s.

The two reasons are, they felt it was vulgar and animalistic and part of a conspiracy to bring the white man down to the level of the Negro

Q3. Name three important recording artists who were discovered by Sam Phillips.

Jarry Louis
Littel Richard
Elvis Presley

Q4. What 1951 song, recorded in Sam Phillips’ Memphis studio, has been called the “first rock and roll record”? Why?

Rocket 88 because of the distorted, heavily amplified guitar tone and the overall ferocity of the performance, several historians have called Rocket 88 the first rock and roll record.

Q5. Which of the 1950s rock and roll stars discussed in this chapter might be called rock’s first great lyricist? What musical instrument is he associated with?

Q6. During Elvis Presley’s Sun years, Sam Phillips had little choice but to market the singer as a country-western singer? Why?

Due to the part that Elvis had both black and white sources and represents the vital music of his years. Commercially sun records could take Presley so far and so he moved to RCA

Q7. Jerry Lois and Little Richard were two 1950s rock ‘n roll stars known for, among other things, their outrageousness on stage. What instrument did they both play?

Piano was the instrument they played.

Q8. Draw a line from the recording artist on the left to the song associated with that artist on the right.
Little Richard…….Tutti-Frutti
Chuck berry… Maybelline
Jerry Lee Lewis…. Great Balls Of Fire
Carl Perkins … Blue Suede shoes
Ike Turner … Rocket 88

Q9. What was distinctive about Bo Diddley’s guitar technique?

Bo played the guitar as if it were a drum rhythm wile holding one chord through entire song. This was the distinctive technique.

Q10.What country-rooted style of music might be considered a rock and roll’s first sub-genre?

Rockabilly is considered the first sub-genre in rock and roll

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